Combustion condition detecting system of internal combustion engine

• US 5,604,303 A
• Filed: 10/19/1994
• Issued: 02/18/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Unisia Jecs Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hoshina, Atsumi, Tomisawa, Naoki
• Primary Examiner(s): Chilcot, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCCALL, ERIC SCOTT
• Application Number:
  US08/325,665
• Time in Patent Office: 853 Days
• Field of Search: 73/116, 73/117.3, 73/35.06, 73/35.12, 73/115, 123/419, 123/436, 364/431.08
• US Class Current: 73/114.06
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 15/08 by monitoring pressure in cylinders

Abstract

A combustion condition detecting system of an internal combustion engine, comprises a first device for detecting the pressure in a cylinder of the engine; a second device for setting an integral range in a crankshaft angle in accordance with a rotation speed of the engine; a third device for integrating the pressure within the integral range thereby to derive an integrated value; a fourth device for judging whether or not an abnormal combustion occurs in the cylinder by comparing the integrated value with a reference value; and a fifth device for issuing an alarm when the fourth device judges occurrence of the abnormal combustion. In accordance with the invention, in a lower engine speed side near the idling speed, the integral range is set to appear after a given crankangle position where the pressure in the cylinder exhibits the maximum.

Claims

1. A combustion condition detecting system of an internal combustion engine, comprising:

first means for detecting pressure in a cylinder of said engine;

second means for setting an integral range for a crankangle in accordance with a rotation speed of said engine;

third means, coupled to said first means and to said second means, for integrating a detected cylinder pressure within said integral range thereby to derive an integrated value of pressure; and

fourth means for judging whether or not an abnormal combustion occurs in the cylinder by comparing said integrated value with a reference value; and

wherein said integral range includes first and second integral ranges which are selectively used when the engine operates at higher and lower speed conditions, said first integral range containing a "TDC" (top dead center) crankangle position and a crankangle range just after the "TDC" crankangle position, said second integral range containing a range which appears after a given crankangle position where pressure in the cylinder exhibits a maximum at a normal combustion condition but before the next piston bottom dead center position.

2. A combustion condition detecting system as claimed in claim 1, in which said integral range is gradually shifted toward a "ATDC" (after top dead center) crankangle position side or a delayed crankangle position side as engine rotation speed is reduced.

3. A combustion condition detecting system as claimed in claim 2, in which said second integral range is set to appear after the given crankangle position by 10 degrees of crankangle.

4. A combustion condition detecting system as claimed in claim 1, in which said fourth means judges the occurrence of the abnormal combustion when said integrated value is smaller than said reference value.

5. A combustion condition detecting system as claimed in claim 1, in which said second, third and fourth means are installed in a computer in a software form.

6. A combustion condition detecting system as claimed in claim 1, in which said reference value is determined in accordance with both a load of the engine and a rotation speed of the engine.

7. A combustion condition detecting system as claimed in claim 1, in which said integral range is varied in accordance with an engine load as well as an engine rotation speed.

8. A combustion condition detecting system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising fifth means which issues an alarm when said fourth means judges occurrence of the abnormal combustion.

9. A combustion condition detecting system of an internal combustion engine, comprising:

first means for detecting pressure in a cylinder of said engine;

second means for setting an integral range for a crankangle in accordance with a rotation speed of said engine;

third means, coupled to said first means and to said second means, for integrating a detected cylinder pressure within said integral range thereby to derive an integrated value of pressure; and

fourth means for judging whether or not an abnormal combustion occurs in the cylinder by comparing said integrated value with a reference value; and

wherein said integral range is set to appear after a given crankangle position where pressure in the cylinder exhibits a maximum at a normal combustion condition,

and wherein said integral range includes first and second integral ranges which are selectively used when the engine operates at higher and lower speed conditions, said first integral range containing a "TDC" (top dead center) crankangle position and a crankangle range just after the "TDC" crankangle position, and said second integral range being prevented from containing the "TDC" crankangle position and the crankangle range just after the "TDC" crankangle position.